At Minnesota Then, we feel history should be accessible to everyone, no matter where they live, how much time they have, or what their budget is. Born out of a desire to overcome the traditional barriers to museum engagement—cost, location, and time—our platform offers a way for people to experience local history. This idea is rooted in the research I conducted during my graduate studies, where I explored the value of pop-up exhibits in non-traditional spaces. These exhibits provided the community with direct, hands-on access to history, and I knew I wanted to bring that same opportunity to people all over Minnesota.
Our journey to creating Minnesota Then was motivated by a long-standing belief that history should be available to everyone, not just those with the resources to visit traditional museums. After years of brainstorming and tinkering with ideas, we found inspiration in the work of Bob Molenda, who had created a similar app called LensFlare Stillwater. His model of self-guided, location-based tours provided a blueprint for what we envisioned on a larger scale—an app that allowed users to experience history right in their own communities. Through trial, error, and countless hours of development, we built the framework for Minnesota Then, a map-driven, self-guided web application that brings Minnesota's rich history to users' fingertips.
Minnesota Then allows users to explore historic sites around the state, with detailed information, images, and even audio tours accessible on their mobile devices. It's designed to be an easy, fun, and informative way to engage with the past, whether you're at home, at work, or out and about. The app is free, available 24/7, and doesn't require any entrance fees or long travel distances—just a curiosity to explore the history of the place you call home. As the app grows, our goal is to expand its reach and content, partnering with local organizations and individuals to ensure that every corner of Minnesota's past is represented and accessible to everyone, no matter where they are or when they choose to engage.
We believe Minnesota Then is more than just an app; it's a vision for a new way of experiencing history—one without walls, limitations, or barriers. It's about making history personal, accessible, and meaningful to people of all ages and backgrounds. And as the project grows, we hope to see others take what we've built and make it better, continuing the mission of bringing history to the people.
Read the original thesis that started it all ➔